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New Member

I've been shooting film for quite awhile now and I just want to know: how do the labs here cropped your negatives/scans?

Recently I shot a roll and had it processed and scan. To my dismay, most if not all were out of composition and some parts were chopped off. At first I thought it was my fault. But I vividly remembered how it was shot in the viewfinder. The first few times it happened to me I shrugged it off thinking it might be my skills. But it can't be that bad until now.

Feeling a little bummed I went and checked the negatives. The negatives showed the actual frame that I shot. So yeah back to the question. How do they actually cropped?

Moderator

Senior Member

I've been shooting film for quite awhile now and I just want to know: how do the labs here cropped your negatives/scans?

Recently I shot a roll and had it processed and scan. To my dismay, most if not all were out of composition and some parts were chopped off. At first I thought it was my fault. But I vividly remembered how it was shot in the viewfinder. The first few times it happened to me I shrugged it off thinking it might be my skills. But it can't be that bad until now.

Feeling a little bummed I went and checked the negatives. The negatives showed the actual frame that I shot. So yeah back to the question. How do they actually cropped?

Moderator

if you are using a 35mm SLR camera, you don't even able to see the whole frame area in the camera viewfinder, most camera only show up about 92%, excepts a few pro bodies like Pentex LX, Nikon F to F6 and Canon flagship pro bodies

and when the labs run the negative thru their film feeds, or even mount the film onto 35mm slide mount, it will show up about the same areas as what you see in your viewfinder. Nobody complains about such issue unless they are using those pro bodies with 100% viewfinder.

if you really want to see 100% on your film, than make your own printing.

btw, do not use 35 film carrier when you make your own printing, use medium format film glass carrier, so you can even able to print the sprocket holes.

New Member

if you are using a 35mm SLR camera, you don't even able to see the whole frame area in the camera viewfinder, most camera only show up about 92%, excepts a few pro bodies like Pentex LX, Nikon F to F6 and Canon flagship pro bodies

and when the labs run the negative thru their film feeds, or even mount the film onto 35mm slide mount, it will show up about the same areas as what you see in your viewfinder. Nobody complains about such issue unless they are using those pro bodies with 100% viewfinder.

if you really want to see 100% on your film, than make your own printing.

btw, do not use 35 film carrier when you make your own printing, use medium format film glass carrier, so you can even able to print the sprocket holes.

this whole image is your negative area, and the picture of dog is occupied about 93% of the whole image, and it is what you suppose to see in a Nikon FM2 viewfinder. The areas in gray is recorded on your film but you don't get to see in viewfinder.

New Member

this whole image is your negative area, and the picture of dog is occupied about 93% of the whole image, and it is what you suppose to see in a Nikon FM2 viewfinder. The areas in gray is recorded on your film but you don't get to see in viewfinder.

Alright understood. So basically I have to give some leeway then, right? And I understand about the parallax error as well thus why I don't shoot up close. I just want to get the best out of my film and not be ruining shots.

Senior Member

Just check what print size you select? 4R? 6R? 10R?
Cos different print size have different aspects ratio.if you print full page (of whatever size) than automatically the machine will crop the film unless you order the shop NOT to crop any size but you will see top and bottom will have a white (or black) edges
. What I try to say is : the aspect retio of 35mm film and the paper size are not the same, thats why got this problem.

New Member

Just check what print size you select? 4R? 6R? 10R?
Cos different print size have different aspects ratio.if you print full page (of whatever size) than automatically the machine will crop the film unless you order the shop NOT to crop any size but you will see top and bottom will have a white (or black) edges
. What I try to say is : the aspect retio of 35mm film and the paper size are not the same, thats why got this problem.

Moderator

Member

The frame area positions seem inconsistent. If you notice, margins of the upper and lower borders do not match. There is too much space for the top border while the bottom border is almost non existent. Perhaps you can check your camera's film gate? That said, I've noticed slight crops of my photos when I was still sending my negs to labs to be scanned. I scan and print my stuff now, so I pay close attention to the borders and stuff. I actually had a picture that was highly dependent on the silver of detail near the border of the neg.